I’m alone for the first time in almost two weeks. For an only child, that’s serious, and might take some extensive recovery time.

It was for a good reason, though – my two oldest boys were here – David first, from the 31st to last Friday, and the Christopher from the 4th until yesterday. Christopher came up with my dad and dad’s wife Hilary, from Knoxville. It was a very nice time, except for the very bizarre fact that, three weeks after the rest of us contracted it, David first, then Christopher caught that horrible, 36-hour bug that felled us a few Sundays ago. It followed the exact same trajectory (um…yeah), so I’m sure it was the same one. Could it have just been sitting around for all that time, waiting? The weird thing is that Katie never got it at all, and she’s been here practically the whole time…

So anyway, had all my children here for a day or so. For those of you with young children…take heart…there will come a day on which your little ones will grow up beyond the squabbling and constant neediness. There will come a day when your teens will mature, take hold of their lives and actually have a sense of where they’re going and feel (mostly) content about it.

And for those of you with young children…pay attention. The price for the disappearance of the dependent, whiny wigglers is that as they go off down the road, you’re left with a home where there are no babies learning to point and scream "Da-Da!" at five o’clock when the door opens, no babies greeting you with a wide, open-mouth kiss on the cheek: "Mmmm-wa!" No baby toes clutching the carpet as they try to keep balance, no toddlers mangling prayers or cuddling on your lap in the dusk.

Unless, of course…you just keep having them….